


Being Parabatai

by Polarnacht



Series: Quick & Dirty [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys In Love, Fluff, Good Boyfriend Alec Lightwood, Happy Ending, Jace Wayland Needs A Hug, Kissing, M/M, Parabatai, Presents, Protective Alec Lightwood, Secrets, Sweet, Young Jalec, parabatai love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-21 17:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30025050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht
Summary: Jace fails unexpectedly his first solo mission and is devastated and disappointed. Alec cheers him up with hot chocolate, a present, and most imporantly with himself.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland
Series: Quick & Dirty [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056596
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	Being Parabatai

**Author's Note:**

> Written during last week's writing game for the following emojis: hot chocolate, a present, a bathrobe, two persons in love

Jace throws his broken blade into the designated box for used weapons before he hurries along. He ignores the stares and the voiced congratulations. The cheers. There is nothing to cheer about. 

He practically flees into his room, relieved when he can shut the door behind him. He is soaked to the bones, his gear torn and his skin covered in bruises and cuts. He failed. It never crossed his mind before, but he failed. 

He strips out of his clothes, ignoring his tired bones and the still bleeding wounds. He is shaking, but he reckons it has only a little to do with the cold, but much more with how he feels inside. Nevertheless he steps into the shower, holding his face under the hot steam. Washing away the demon ichor together with his shame. 

Today was supposed to be a great day. Jace is fifteen, and like every other Shadowhunter, he received his first solo mission. Completely alone. Like Alec did a year earlier and Izzy will in a year. But unlike Alec, who of course aced his first mission, Jace failed. It doesn’t matter that there were more demons than expected. It just matters that Jace expected better of himself. He slayed his first demon when he was five. It should have been a piece of cake. He should have slain these demons with ease. Instead, they nearly slayed him. If not… 

The opening of his door startles him and he steps hastily out of the shower, wrapping himself in a bathrobe. _Alec._

When he steps outside, Alec sits awkwardly on his bed, a hot mug with chocolate on the nightstand. 

“I thought you might be cold.” He gestures towards the steaming mug, blushing at his own words. 

Jace reaches for it, taking a sip. It’s hot and sweet and perfect. Just like everything Alec does.

"Can I...?" Alec asks tentatively, pulling his stele out of his pocket and looking at Jace's unhealed wounds.

"Sure." Jace shrugs. He thinks he deserves the pain but he lets Alec take care of him anyway, knowing that it will soothe Alec too. He sighs when the sting of the Iratze jolts through his body and the wounds start to close. 

“I’m sorry, Jace. I really am.” Alec looks pleadingly at him.

“What for?” Jace takes another sip before placing the mug back. His eyes find Alec’s and they look at each other for a moment before Alec starts to speak.

“For interfering. For killing this demon. I know you were about to kill it yourself and I took that away from you. I know you’re angry. But I was just so worried...” Alec bites his lip. He knows he should have let Jace handle the demon on his own. But it just looked way too much like the demon was going to handle Jace. So he did what he always does. He protected Jace. 

“Alec, no. I am angry, but not with you. You didn’t take anything away from me. You saved my fucking life. That thing was about to kill me.” 

Jace slums down on the bed. It’s hard to voice it out loud. To admit his failure, even if it’s only to Alec. Maybe especially because it’s to Alec. But he cannot let Alec believe that he is angry with him or that he did something wrong. His mind leaps back to the moment. Where he lay on the ground, his blade broken in two and useless. The demon hovering over him, ready to attack. Ready to kill. And then the noise of a flying arrow that hit the demon right in its eye, killing it in an instant. Alec’s arrow. No one but him saw it so everyone believed he passed the test. 

“How did you even get there?” Jace asks, closing his eyes briefly. 

“I sneaked out. I wanted to see you on your big day.” 

“Breaking rules, Alec?” Jace smiles weakly at him.

“I think it’s too late to stick to the rules.” Alec counters, letting himself fall on the bed beside Jace, cupping his chin gently to press a chaste kiss on his lips. “Way too late. So you’re not angry?” 

“Fuck, Alec. Of course not. You saved my ass out there. I would have..”

But Alec doesn’t let Jace finish the sentence. “I was having your back like it’s supposed to be. We’re Parabatai. It’s stupid to let us fight alone.” 

“So you don’t think I am the biggest failure you've ever met?” Jace looks up to Alec, only half joking.

Alec just rolls his eyes, huffing, but not bothering to answer instantly. Instead, he kisses Jace again. “Of course not. And I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” Jace peeks up, his mood already shifting towards a lighter one. He loves to get presents. He grins in anticipation when Alec gets up and comes back a second later with a small, clumsily wrapped box. 

He tears the box open, feeling Alec’s stare on him. His breath catches in his throat when he sees what’s inside. 

“It’s not…?” 

“It is!”

“You’re the absolute best,” Jace murmurs, his hand curling around the little key inside. It’s the key to the locked door to the rooftop he and Alec were dying to find for so long. So they could make the forgotten spot theirs. 

“I am. But so are you.” Alec grins a little sheepishly, before reaching out for Jace to kiss him again.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are loved 💙


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